New/Revised Policies

Description

• New or revised policy texts which define the rules or guidelines governing employee behaviours and decisions.  Revised Policies are drafted for management approval prior to their implementation.  Explanations of the context for and rationale behind modifications are included in this deliverable to assist management and staff in understanding how and why directives have changed.

Business Value

• Clear and unambiguous policy text compels individuals across the organisation to recognise the boundaries governing work behavior.  Without specific documentation of such policies, there is a significant risk that employees will not actually comply with new guidelines, or even fully comprehend which policies have been changed.

Approach

The development of new policy text usually involves the creation of a draft version, followed by a number of revisions.  Management representatives are consulted during the text development process to ensure accuracy and alignment with “To-Be” processes.

1. Obtain and review copies of existing policy texts.
2. Formulate a draft version of each new/changed policy, referring to the required changes outlined in the Policy/Regulation Changes completed in the previous phase.
3. Review the draft text with one or more members of the core project team to ensure complete alignment with the redesigned “To-Be” Process Model.  Consult with management representatives to obtain clarification of details, as appropriate.
4. Review all draft policies together to identify and eliminate inadvertent gaps or overlaps.
5. Develop an accompanying document that explains the rationale behind each policy change (to be disseminated to employees along with the new policy text).
6. Obtain management feedback and approval.

Guidelines

Problems/Solutions

• Policy documents that are too lengthy tend to remain on the shelf and gather dust.  Develop policy documents that achieve an appropriate balance between “completeness” and “user-friendliness”.  Keep policy documentation concise.

Tactics/Helpful Hints

Provide clear parameters within which staff are requested and expected to use their own judgement.

Establish guidelines that actually help employees make decisions (e.g. decision criteria or rules).

If entirely new policies must be developed, obtain copies of similar policy wording from other organisations.

Many leading organisations maintain up-to-date policy manuals on the computer network so that employees can have easy access to the most recent versions of all guidelines and regulations.

Resources/Timing

• In-house policy specialists having a good knowledge of the organisation's culture and history are often best-suited to draft the new wording.
• If necessary, work closely with the individual(s) responsible for developing the Process/User’s Manual to ensure consistency and accuracy.